Rising Darkness
by JadeDragonKnight
Summary: Meta Knight faces his new powers, the wrath of the elements, and his greatest fears in the third edition to my Origin of the Dark Knight series. Darkness once again threatens the world and only Meta Knight can save it. Along the way, he will learn something about his past that no one knew; something...dark.
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning

**Author's Note: Congratulations! You have found the third edition to my Origin of the Dark Knight series. If you haven't read the first two stories, I suggest you do or else things could get confusing. The first one is Origin of the Dark Knight and the second is The Darkness Has Come. Anyway, I have been working on this story for a few years now, so my writing style might seem different later on. I hope you enjoy it none the less. Now, I give you Rising Darkness!**

* * *

Rising Darkness

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 1: The Beginning

It was dark. A cool breeze glided over the ground, creating a soft moan. The moon shone high in the night sky. Specks of light dotted the blackness where the invisible clouds split apart. The sound of breathing melded with the wind. A pair of red eyes appeared, searching the space bathed in the blue light of the moon. A figure stood across from the eyes fifteen yards away. Little detail could be seen in the dim glow. It didn't move. Hands cracked and the red eyes narrowed on the figure. Seconds went by in silence. A black cloud slowly drifted over the moon. The light began to fade away, but the eyes stayed focused on the figure. Then, it was jet black. The wind ceased to moan.

Just then, purple electricity flashed around the red eyes. The streaks danced as they flew toward the figure. The ground jolted as the bolt struck the target. The figure flashed with the purple light, but stood tall. Countless lightning streaks zoomed toward it, making thunderous booms when they made contact. The clouds overhead broke and uncovered the moon. Its light once again washed over the land below. The electric stopped flowing. The red eyes scanned the ground for the target. The metal poles glowed hot red from the lightning strikes. The man grinned underneath his mask.

Suddenly, something struck him in the head. He cried out in pain and held his skull where it throbbed. He looked down at the ground to see a wooden ball, most likely from a bed post.

"How many freakin' times do I have to tell you to keep it down?!" a voice shouted from above.

The man looked up at a lit window in the castle, still rubbing his head.

"I can't help the fact that lightning is loud!" the man yelled back.

"Don't get smart with me, Meta Knight!" the fat penguin angrily replied. "Do your stupid training later!"

"Dedede, you know I can only do this at night," Meta Knight argued. The pain in his head subsided.

"You've been doing this for two weeks. TWO WEEKS!"

"I-"

"That means I haven't gotten any decent sleep for _two weeks_!"

"I didn't-"

"Look at these bags under my eyes!" King Dedede yelled as he poked at the dark rings on his face.

"I didn't do this every night for two weeks."

"I don't care! If you have to train, go do it somewhere else!"

Meta Knight growled under his breath. He clenched and unclenched his fists.

"Yes your majesty," the knight said reluctantly.

He turned to leave. Suddenly, another wooden ball whizzed through the air and hit him in the back of the head. He groaned loudly and hunched over with his hands on the point of impact.

"One more thing," King Dedede called, "bring those ball things in when you come back."

The king shut the balcony doors and the lights went out. Meta Knight shook the pain away. He looked back up at the place the king stood, judging how far away it was.

"For a lazy guy, he's got good aim," the knight muttered.

He looked up at the dark sky. His cape morphed into wings. They caught the gentle wind. He jumped into the air and the wings flapped hard. He soon flew over the castle wall. He hovered in the crisp air and scanned the horizon. The moonlight cast his shadow on the wall. Even with his ability to see in the dark, he couldn't tell where to go. He reached behind and took out his communicator. The light from it made him squint. He opened up a map on the screen. He found an island not too far away from the mainland. Meta Knight put the device away and flew in the direction of the island.

* * *

The world was calm and peaceful. The usual roar of the wind was reduced to a breeze. The ocean waves below barely made a sound as they lapped the air. The only source of light was the cool glow of the moon that dotted the stretch of water. If it wasn't for the chilling breeze Meta Knight would have fallen asleep mid-flight.

He continued to glide straight. He couldn't see the island in detail, but it made a black silhouette against the dark blue water. The sound of waves crashing gradually became louder. Meta Knight dipped low and flew just above the waves. He threw his weight back and began to slow down. He landed softly on the sand, just out of reach of the rolling tide. His wings folded back and formed into his cape. He looked out to the ocean the way he came. He could see the rocky cliffs of the distant land. The castle rested on the highest peak, but was dwarfed by the land around it. A breeze blew from behind him, making his cape wrap around his arms. Countless leaves rustled, making a soft hiss. He turned toward the forest. No animal made a sound. With the glow of his eyes lighting the path, he ventured into the dense growth.

It didn't take long for him to reach a small clearing. He stopped and looked up through the opening in the trees. The sky was still black in places where the clouds covered the stars. He looked around the clearing. It was too small to practice aiming at long distances like he did in the castle courtyard. He looked at his hands for a moment.

'_I wonder how powerful I can make my bolts…'_

Meta Knight looked through the opening again. He nodded to himself. Then he closed his eyes and clenched his fists. Something began to pulsate inside him. A tingle went through him as purple sparks began to appear on his fists. The energy flowed continuously and wanted out in one burst. He fought the burst back and tried to control it. Sparks danced all over his body as wind kicked up around him. His muscles tensed as more energy built up inside of him. It was becoming too hard to control. He lifted his arm up to the opening. He forced the energy to flow up his arm. He opened his hand. Suddenly, a giant bolt of purple electricity surged out into the night sky. Deafening booms were created in its wake. The clouds parted as the lightening passed through. Meta Knight kept his eyes closed tight from the blinding light. The energy began to slow down. The bolt lessened in size until it was no more than a thin streak of static. Meta Knight lowered his arm and breathed heavily. The sparks fizzed out and everything was still once more. He felt weak and almost stumbled. He felt proud of this achievement, but at the same time was worried at having that much power.

Something snapped behind him. He whirled around to face it. His red eyes scanned the darkness as he listened for the slightest sound. Only the tree leaves rustled. After a few seconds passed, Meta Knight concluded that it was nothing important. He faced forward again and drew his sword. For a moment it was only a hilt, but then golden electricity sprung forth and solidified into the five pronged sword Galaxia. When most of his strength returned, he began to practice his sword techniques. Suddenly, something hit him on the side of his head and threw him off his feet. His first reaction was to spring up and face the attacker, but the dazed knight could only lay there and watch the world spin. Then, someone gasped.

"Oh my gosh! Are you ok?"

A hand scooped his head up. Meta Knight focused on the face of a girl with a worry and guilty struck expression.

"Jade?" he slurred. "You really pack a punch."

"I'm so sorry. I couldn't see you, I just-"

"It's alright," he assured as he sat upright and rubbed the spot of impact.

Jade rolled back on her feet in silence. Then, both of them got a quizzical face.

"What are you doing here?" they asked in unison.

Jade paused a moment then said, "You first."

"Ok. Dedede kicked me out."

"Aw, why?" she asked sympathetically as she sat properly.

"Apparently he hasn't slept in two weeks due to my 'stupid' training. So, I came here to train."

"What are you training for?"

"I want to learn how to control my powers," he added, looking at his hands. "They won't seem to go away so I have to learn to live with them." He looked at her and asked, "Why'd you hit me again?"

"That huge lightning bolt scared the crap out of me! I was having a nice dream too. Anyway, I came to check it out and saw this black glob thing with red eyes staring at me."

The knight chuckled and repeated, "'Black glob thing'?"

"It's dark out here ok! Look, I'm really sorry I whacked you. I thought you were one of those dark creatures."

"Hmm, that's understandable…" he muttered.

"Hey, are you ok?" Jade asked softly, seeing the change of emotion in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he said quickly. "So, you're camping out here?"

"Kinda."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I live here. Although, it's not like I'm staying at a five star hotel or anything. I'm kinda roughing it."

"You live here?"

"Yup."

"On a deserted island?"

"Uh huh," Jade replied as if asking where he was going with this.

"…By yourself?"

"Ugh, here we go," she sighed.

"What?"

"Now you're going to tell me how I'm just a girl and can't take care of myself."

"No, it's not that at all," the knight assured, "it's just, you seem a bit young to be out here by yourself."

"Hmm, maybe," Jade replied, looking at the ground in thought.

"I mean you are 14, right?"

"I think so."

"You don't know how old you are?"

"Well, I came here four years ago, that's for sure. But, I don't know where I came from or who I was. I just woke up one day and there I was, alone."

Meta Knight gazed at her in quiet sympathy.

"So, maybe I'm 14, maybe I'm not," Jade continued more heartily. She stood up, brushed herself off and said, "Well, I'm going back to bed. Promise not to make any more thunderbolts?"

"Y-yeah."

"Alright, goodnight," she added before she walked into the forest and disappeared.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded until silence reigned again. Meta Knight looked at the ground, absorbing their conversation. It seems as though he and Jade have something in common... After a moment, he reached into his left glove and pulled out a little metal ball. He rolled it between his fingers, studying the imperfections on the surface, but he knew all of them by heart now. Then a strange urge compelled him to metal bend it. He never thought of doing that before, but it seemed as though it was something he was supposed to do. He let it roll into the palm of his hand. With a little concentration on the orb, it began to levitate. It wasn't hard to control at all because of its size. After a while, Meta Knight took his hand away and watched it float in mid-air. That day, that little ball raised more questions than answers, but that was so long ago. He sighed and let the orb drop into his hand. He tucked it away in his glove and looked up at the sky. It was still clear from the lightning blast. The moon was full and bright. He absently yawned, making him realize how tired he really was. He thought about returning to the castle, but he didn't want to risk getting a lecture from the grouchy king. He looked around the clearing. He saw a tree with a sizable trunk. He stood up and went to it. After studying the base and the canopy for critters, he sat down and laid his back against the trunk. He shifted a bit to get comfortable and wrapped himself in his cape. He yawned one more time and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to take hold.

* * *

It was dark, but a calming dark. The sound of the breeze was like a distant memory. His body was completely relaxed and felt somewhat numb. His breathe and heartbeat was steady. Random thoughts and mental images of the day appeared in his mind, but they were vague and fleeting. Then, his arm tingled a bit then went numb again. This didn't arouse him, but it made his hand twitch, causing his arm to wake up. With this came the strange sensation again, but this time it registered as something rubbing against him. Still in an unconscious state, he turned a bit to release his arm from this annoying object. However, this forced the rest of his body out of sleep. Now he could feel something moving all around his lower body. The sounds of the forest rushed in on him and pushed his short dreams out of his head. He moaned and went to rub his face, but his arm was held back. Now his heartbeat quickened. His eyes fluttered open. Still somewhat asleep, he couldn't see that he was in the clearing he fell asleep in just yet. He tried to move again, but something was holding on to him tightly. He looked down and his half-closed eyes illuminated the source of his discomfort. He gasped and his eyes widened at the sight of black, shadowy vines wrapping around him from a pit underneath him. He fought against their hold as they began to drag him down into the pit. He put all his strength in his arm and pulled it free. He tried to pull the vines off of his other arm, but they began to climb up his freed arm. He pulled away again and grabbed hold of the ground in front of him. At this point, his feet have already disappeared inside the hole and the pulling was getting stronger. The vines began creeping around his face. He squirmed around to keep them from taking hold, but the action made him slip farther into the hole. He clung to that piece of dirt for dear life, but it was no use. With one final tug, he lost his grip and was swallowed up by the darkness.

* * *

**Oh no! What will happen next? Well, you won't know for a while. This story is still incomplete. I usually don't start posting chapters until the story is done, but this is an exception. Instead of you guys waiting months for a new chapter, I'm going to give myself time to write by posting one chapter a week. Expect the next chapter next Saturday. Something to look forward to.**

**Review, please.**


	2. Chapter 2: The Dream

Rising Darkness

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 2: The Dream

Meta Knight thrashed around to break free from the darkness. He could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into who knows where. Then he felt solid ground underneath him. He opened his eyes and placed his hands flat on the ground. He looked above and saw churning purple thunder clouds.

"Where am I?"

He looked forward and saw a large vortex. He stood without taking his eyes off the swirling gateway. There was something off about this place. It seemed endless, foreboding, and he could feel as though death was sort at hand. Just then, something shifted in the upper part of the vortex. Meta Knight got into a defensive stance as he carefully watched the mass emerging from it. A creature appeared and hovered in place above him. It had a humanoid form, but it possessed claws, a long tail with a knife like end, large, tattered bat wings, and three horns protruding from its skull. It gazed down at the knight and made a wide grin, showing its razor sharp teeth. A chill went up Meta Knight's spine from its presence.

"So glad you could make it," it hissed in delight.

He thought it best not to give this thing a reply.

After a moment of silence, the creature added, "Very well. I'll get straight to the point."

It lifted an open hand toward him. It began to slowly close it. Meta Knight felt an invisible force enveloping him. Before he could react, the force squeezed him tight. As the creature lifted up its half closed hand, so did Meta Knight raise off the ground. He struggled against its hold, but it was too powerful. He was brought up to eye level with the beast.

"What do you want from me?" the knight demanded.

"I want you to run a few errands for me," it replied plainly, but with a hint of malevolence.

Its tail lifted and swayed with its point towards Meta Knight. His eyes followed it.

"And if I refuse?"

It grinned again and said, "Then you'll die."

Its tail stopped moving and pointed directly at his head. Meta Knight's eyes widened. Suddenly, it flew forward with lightning speed, pierced through his mask, and burrowed in his forehead. The air escaped his lungs from the initial shock then the overwhelming pain radiated from the spot of intrusion. He screamed in agony and struggled to break free from its hold. The creature held firm as darkness shrouded its tail and flowed into Meta Knight's head. The pain was relentless. His cries only seemed to please the creature. His vision was fading and his screams weakened. Then the shadow disappeared into the knight. The creature ripped its tail out of his head and relaxed its hand. The force that had secured Meta Knight faded and he fell out of the air. He was too weak to save himself. All he could do was watch the ground race up to meet him and hope the pain would end. Then everything went black.

* * *

Ringing broke the silence; a periodic ringing echoing in his mind. He slowly opened his eyes. He was in the clearing. The sun was shining through the trees and various animal noises filled the air. Something was still ringing. Meta Knight fished around behind him and took out his communicator. The ringing was radiating from it almost as if it was irritably waiting for someone to answer. He moaned at it. A headache was preventing him from wanting to answer. Despite this, he flipped it open and brought the device to his ear.

"Hello-"

"Where the hell are you?!"

He pulled the cell away in discomfort then held it a little farther away than normal.

"You sound well rested," the knight replied tiredly.

"Ha ha, very funny. When I told you to train somewhere else I didn't mean you could take a vacation!"

"I apologize, I just woke up," Meta Knight added, rubbing his head.

"You just woke up? Do you know what time it is?! You _never _sleep in this late, so don't give me that crap!"

His brows pressed together at that remark. How long was he asleep?

"Look, I don't want to know what you've been up to. Just get your butt back to the castle this instant! This is an emergency!"

He sighed to himself and replied, "Yes your majesty."

He heard an exasperated "humph" before the connection was cut. He closed the lid and rubbed his head again. Knowing Dedede, that emergency was probably exaggerated. He checked the time on the phone. It read 12:30 PM. The king was right; Meta Knight never sleeps in this late when he had a normal night's sleep. But did he? He swallowed hard, slowly brought his hand to his forehead, and felt his mask. No hole. He lifted his mask and felt the same area. Nothing unusual.

'_Was it a dream? It felt so real…'_

The thought of that creature being a dream gave him some relief, but it would explain the headache. He decided that he could think about it later. If he didn't get back to the castle and see what's up then he'll risk getting another call. Meta Knight stood up and quickly made his way through the forest.

* * *

Meta Knight ran through the castle halls. The sound of his metal shoes clanking echoed off the walls. He didn't see anything that needed his attention so far.

"Meta Knight!"

He skidded to a halt. He looked back at a door and raised an eyebrow.

He walked up to it and said, "Your majesty?"

"Took you long enough!" Dedede called back through the door.

"Are you alright?" the knight asked, about to enter the room.

"Don't come in!" he shouted, making him release the door handle as though it was on fire. "Go to the supply room and get some toilet paper."

He frowned and asked, "That's your emergency? Couldn't you have gotten a Waddle Dee to do that?"

"Do not question the king! Just hurry up!"

The knight shook his head and ran back down the hall.

* * *

After the bathroom disaster was avoided, Meta Knight went to the courtyard. He went up to the metal poles he was using to train with the night before. They were originally made into a cross shape, but they had bent back from their brief melting points.

He looked at his hands. He could only transform into his dark form at night and turn back during the day. It's been that way ever since the team encountered a powerful dark being bent on taking over the world. But why did it pay so much attention to him? Why give him these powers? And why mention another powerful dark being that supposedly lost its powers and memory?

He shook his head. It didn't really matter now. The monster was dead and things have been peaceful for a while. Because of this period of peace, the Brawl Tournament was able to continue as normal. It was the whole reason all of the team members came in the first place, to answer their invites and demonstrate their strength in front of an audience. Unfortunately, because of the recently acquired dark powers, Meta Knight was respectably banned from the tournament before it was his time to fight. It didn't matter that much to him anyway. If anything he only came because King Dedede and Kirby needed a ride, and Dedede figured he'd give that first intimidating impression he wanted if he came in the Halberd. However, things went crazy very fast when the Halberd was stolen and used for evil. Well, that's old news too.

Meta Knight grabbed hold of the practice dummy and wiggled it loose from the ground. He carried it to the castle wall and set it against the wall, out of sight of a particular king that might find it an eyesore. Just then, he remembered something else he had to do. He went back out into the grass and scanned the ground. When he spotted the bed post ball, he went to it and picked it up.

'_Hang on. Wasn't there two here?' _he thought to himself.

He looked around, expecting to see it right away. However, it seemed to have vanished. Just then, he heard someone running up to him. He would have got into a defensive state if he didn't recognize the sound of those footsteps. He heard a cheerful "piyo" before he was hugged by the little pink puff ball.

"Kirby," the knight greeted, "what brings you here?"

He smiled and showed his rival a wooden bed post ball.

"I was looking for that," he responded, but he didn't take the offering.

Taking notice of this, Kirby put the ball aside on the ground and grabbed his wrist.

"Play," he said cheerfully.

"Eh, that's ok, I'm not really in the mood."

Kirby frowned in disappointment.

"Why don't you play with someone else? Maybe Ness?"

Kirby shook his head and said, "Home."

"He went home huh? What about Lucas?"

He shook his head again.

"The Ice Climbers?"

He rubbed the back of his head and shrugged in a questioning manner.

"Don't know where they're at? Hmm… Well maybe Jade might like some company."

Kirby smiled and said "Piyo."

Meta Knight nodded. Suddenly, he had a pressing urge to leave. He looked up in the distant sky. Something seemed to be calling him…

"Poyo?"

He looked back at Kirby.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind. Oh, could you do me a favor?"

He gave the knight his undivided attention.

"Sneak these back in Dedede's room," he said, giving Kirby the wooden ball he was holding, "but don't let him catch you here. He'll throw a fit."

Kirby saluted to him. Then he picked up the second ball and ran towards the castle. Meta Knight grinned under his mask. He looked back up at the clouds. That tugging wasn't going away. His eyes narrowed. He took a running start before he leaped into the air and flew off.

* * *

**End of Chapter 2. The next chapter will be posted next Saturday.**

**Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3: Wind

**I'm sorry this came so late today. Had a long day and didn't get much time in front of the computer. But, here it is none the less. Enjoy!**

* * *

Rising Darkness

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 3: Wind

The wind rushed by in a constant hum. The land was so far below that it was impossible to see movement from any animal on the ground. It's been a while since Meta Knight flown this high, but whatever was calling him pulled him there. It wasn't long before he saw a large mass of dark clouds in the distance. The land underneath it was hazy from the downpour. The strange feeling was getting stronger. He was certain now. He was being pulled into the center of a massive storm. If he went in then he might not make it out. Going back to the castle seemed like an excellent idea at the moment. Perhaps if the feeling didn't go away then he would take his ship into the storm to investigate.

When he felt he made his decision to go back, something suddenly pulsated in his forehead. His vision blurred a bit as he placed his hand on his skull. His mind went blank before he could think of what caused the sensation. Another wave hit him. A purple haze began to cloud his yellow eyes and tunnel his vision. Soon he couldn't see at all or think to react. Then the haze cleared and revealed a new haze, that of storm clouds. They parted into what looked like a pocket in the storm. A whirlwind branched out from the middle, seemingly powering the storm. Suddenly, lightning struck him but he didn't feel it. The lightning shot out and hit the center of the whirlwind. Then his vision clouded to black.

* * *

Muffled thunderclaps shook the rocky platform. The young angel steadied himself as he made his way to the edge of the outcrop. He looked down at the world below. He couldn't see much from the dark cloud cover.

"Wow, that's a big storm," he said to himself.

Pit could see lightning streaks inside the dense clouds. He looked to the front of the storm for a safe path of travel. Then, he saw movement. He squinted and shielded his eyes. It was very far away, but he could make out the large bat wings and the bluish ball they carried.

"Wait, is that Meta Knight?"

The reason he was there escaped the angel, but where he was going worried him. Pit could see that the knight was heading straight for the storm and he didn't seem to notice.

"What are you doing? Get out of there!"

Pit knew he couldn't hear his plea, but he was hoping he would turn around himself. To his dismay, the knight continued forward past the point of no return. He cursed to himself. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them into a determined glare. Pit leaped of the edge and soared towards the storm.

* * *

Meta Knight was in darkness longer than he felt was comfortable. Then, just as suddenly as the spell came about, the darkness cleared. He gasped when he saw that he was surrounded by dark gray storm clouds. He was getting drenched by pounding rain and pushed back by a powerful gale. He searched frantically for sunlight, an opening in the cloud cover, anything that could mean a way out. His fear was escalated when he was greeted by a close by lightning bolt. The thunder clap it created in its wake was deafening, and he would have shielded his ears from the blast of sound if he wasn't using them to help him stay in the air. His ears began ringing and the sound of the rain and wind faded out. He told himself to calm down and think, but his mind was currently locked between fight or flight mode.

Then he thought he heard his name. Meta Knight searched for the source. A gust of wind tore at his wings, causing him to spin out of control. Just then, someone caught him and went into the spin with him. He focused on the face of a young angel.

"Pit?" Meta Knight said, but the wind whipped the words out of his mouth.

"Spread your arms and wings!" Pit shouted at the top of his lungs.

The knight could just hear the command. He did as he said and soon righted himself. Pit let go of him and flew next to him.

"What were you thinking?! You'll be killed!" Pit yelled.

"I don't know! I blacked out!" Meta Knight called.

"You blacked out?! Come on, we have to get out of here!"

Pit's presence cleared the blue knight's mind long enough to feel the strong tugging. They were close to the source.

"No! I have to do something!"

"Are you crazy?!" Pit argued, fear rising in him.

Just then, they broke through into a pocket in the clouds. They both gazed in awe at the large tornadoes branching out into the storm. They were all connected at a point in the middle of the pocket. Pit and Meta Knight flew around the pocket, careful to avoid the whirlwinds.

'_This…this is my vision. But how is that possible?'_

"This isn't a normal storm!" Pit shouted. "We have to go, now!"

"Not yet!"

He scanned the center of the vortex. Something was glowing inside. The sight of it made his forehead pulsate.

'_That's it, it has to be. Do I have to get it somehow?'_

A distance lightning bolt lit up the clouds and created a deafening roar. The knight then remembered more of his vision. He swallowed hard at the reminder, but if it was true so far then it was going to end that way too. He flew harder against the storm and tried to get closer to the center.

"What are you doing?!" Pit cried, trying to follow him.

"Stay back!"

Pit fell back and watched as Meta Knight made his way toward the center. His heart was racing and every fiber of his being told him this was a horrible idea, but the strange tugging seemed to reassure him that he'll somehow survive. He got within close range of the glowing center and waited. Then a chill went up his spine. He looked up and saw a flash of light above him. Then, it hit him. He cried out as the electricity coursed through his whole body. He was blinded by the light and deafened by the thunder. He struggled to hold his arm straight out towards where he thought the center of the vortex was. Then the bolt changed course and surged out of his arm. Then, the electricity stopped flowing and the world went black.

* * *

Pit watched in horror as the bolt of lightning consumed Meta Knight. He could hear his cries of agony and was sure they were his last. Suddenly, the light changed direction and pierced the center of the storm. The tornadoes broke apart and dissipated. The wind lost its ferocious power and the rain quelled to a steady fall. The lightning bolt disappeared in one final flash. Pit gasped at the sight of Meta Knight. He fell lifelessly into the dense clouds. The angel dove straight after him.

* * *

Everything was numb. His heartbeat seemed nonexistent. He couldn't even tell if he was still breathing. He probably wasn't. The pain was gone and everything else with it. This must be what death feels like. Strange…it felt nice, like the most peaceful sleep. He never thought his life would be cut short by a lightning bolt. He pictured dying on the battlefield, fighting for what he believed was right. Or better yet in his sleep at an old age when his life was lived to the fullest. Perhaps thinking about what could've been isn't the best thing for him right now.

He never given much thought to what the other side might look like. Maybe he could see for himself now. He slowly opened his eyes. The world around him was hazy, but soft, and had a white glow to it. He was in a cloud; not really what he was expecting. As he studied it more, he could see that the cloud was moving away from him as if it was going higher. Was he falling? That's probably not a good sign. Well, perhaps that's what he deserves.

He watched the clouds fly by. Slight feelings returned to him in the form of a gentle breeze on his skin. He was defiantly falling, but to where only God knew. Then, he saw a flash above him. He looked towards the source. A little ball of light was falling gradually towards him. It seemed that it was trying to reach him. He could barely feel his arm, but he still tried to reach out to the little orb. He didn't bridge much of the gap, but the ball of light still found its way into his out stretched hand. He gently curled his fingers around it like it was a fragile bird. This connection gave him a sense of closure and calm. He grinned slightly and closed his eyes.

He didn't notice that he broke out of the cloud cover. He began to hear a faint rushing of wind and fabric flapping wildly. Then, he heard a voice calling his name. It was no more than a whisper, but it stirred his senses enough to make him open his eyes. The world flowed in all at once. He saw a bright blue sky dotted with clouds. A vast land stretched where the sky ended, and it seemed very close. Sounds grew louder than before and he felt like he was upside down.

"Meta Knight!"

The knight looked towards the voice above him. He saw Pit diving towards him with his arm out stretched. He reached out to him. In the next moment, Pit caught his hand and pulled him up to grab his back. Then he cried out as he threw his wings against the harsh wind and curved out his dive. They immediately slowed down. Suddenly, they slammed into a tree. Pit dropped Meta Knight from the force of the impact. They both tumbled down through the branches. The knight hit the ground on his face. He groaned in pain and struggled to prop himself up with one arm. It was shaking uncontrollably and felt like a twig. Small tree branches and leaves floated down around him. The moss covered ground was wet and squishy. His arm couldn't hold and he collapsed. His skin stung from falling through the trees. He noticed one of his hands was balled. He took it out from underneath of himself and looked at it. He uncurled his fingers to reveal what looked like a swirling ball of glowing wind. The wind seemed to come alive and started to strengthen. He closed his hand to quell it.

"Meta Knight? Are you still alive?" Pit called from the other side of the tree.

He didn't answer. He looked forward and saw a wide bodied, green, glass bottle. He reached as far as he could to grab it. He heard limbs snapping and someone hitting the ground behind him. Pit made a loud moan of discomfort. Meta Knight pulled at the cork in the bottle. His arm was incredibly weak, but he had just enough strength left to pry the cork loose. He then pushed the little ball of wind into the bottle and sealed it in. The whirlwind swirled around inside and took up the container. It didn't gather anymore power, so the knight concluded that it was now stable. He heard footsteps approaching. He quickly hid the bottle from view. Shaking hands carefully turned him over. He looked up into Pit's frightened face.

"Oh thank God," he sighed in relief, "I thought you were dead."

"I thought I was too," the knight replied weakly.

"Can you stand?"

He shook his head and sighed, "I don't think so."

The angel nodded and added, "Come on."

Pit bent over and wrapped his arms around him. He in turn grabbed hold and helped Pit to hoist him onto his back. The angel stood and held his arms underneath the knight to keep him from sliding off his back. Meta Knight kept his arms around his neck.

Pit looked up through the trees and said, "I don't think I can fly us out of here."

With one hand, he took out his communicator and looked at the map on the screen. He nodded, put it away, and began walking.

"Pit, you don't have to do this," the knight said.

"I can't just leave you here. You almost died back there. Actually, I was pretty sure you were a goner when you got struck by that thunderbolt."

Meta Knight sighed to himself and looked up through the trees. The sky was clear blue.

"The storm's gone," he muttered in surprise.

Pit looked up again and said, "Huh, your right. That's weird."

Just then, a wave of weakness hit the knight. He struggled to keep his eyes open. His arms went numb and began to slide of Pit's shoulders.

The young angel bumped him back up and asked, "Hey, you alright back there?"

Before the knight could respond, his vision blurred and blacked out.

* * *

**That's it until next Saturday. Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Race

Rising Darkness

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 4: The Race

The blackness gave way to light. The sound of birds chirping further awakened him. Meta Knight opened his eyes into a squint. Mid-day light shone through the window. He tiredly looked around the room. It was his room in the castle. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes through his mask. His body felt somewhat sore. He looked over at his nightstand. Standing on it was a green bottle with a glowing whirlwind inside. He picked it up to examine it. Memories of the storm flooded his mind.

'_This must have caused the storm. Was it calling me? Why? I could have died- if Pit wasn't there then… But before that, I saw the future, but how?'_

His attention diverted when he caught a whiff of something foul. He sniffed the air to locate the stench. He raised an eyebrow and lifted his arm. When he smelled again, it hit like someone punching him in the face. The air got caught in his throat and he in turn coughed in disgust. He held his breath as he waited for his dizziness to subside.

"Yup, I need a shower," he said to himself behind clenched teeth.

* * *

Out in the hallway, a Waddle Dee was sweeping the floor with a little broom. He turned when he heard a door open. He saw a glimpse of a blue puff ball peeking around the door.

"Ah, be a dear and wash this for me, thank you," the knight said as he tossed a pile of clothes at the Waddle Dee before shutting the door.

The little orange servant had to drop his broom so he could catch the clothes. He blinked in confusion. Then he took a breath and the odor hit him hard. He whirled around and dizzily walked down the hall to wash the armor.

* * *

Gentle ocean waves lapped the air. The water was crystal clear and teeming with life. Colorful fish were swimming in and out of the coral structures. The moving water shifted the image from above. An angel like being was hovering above the water. The sound the flapping wings made was almost nonexistent. She glowed with a brilliant white and blue light. She held a crudely made wooden spear in one arm. A rough rope was tied on her wrist with other end on the blunt side of the spear. She carefully scanned the water. Then she caught sight of a curious fish that had swum up close to the surface, memorized by the glow she admitted. She slowly held up her spear and focused a little above the fish. She let out a grunt as she threw the spear straight into the water. There was barely a splash. The rope went taut, but then quickly went limp. When the water settled, she saw that she missed her mark.

"Fudger-butter!" she shouted. "Why did I think this was a good idea?"

She sighed and pulled the rope up. The spear came out of the water and she carefully took hold of it. She scanned for fish again. After a minute or so she groaned.

"Ah screw it."

She cocked her free hand above her head. A white energy ball formed in her palm. She threw it down into the water. It descended a few feet then exploded. A huge plume of water burst into the air in front of her. She pointed her spear in the air. As the water rained back into the ocean, a fish landed on the point of the spear. It flopped around to no avail.

"That's more like it," the girl said satisfied.

Just then, a light in the distance caught her eye. She looked up to the sky to see something coming towards her. At first it looked like a star, but as it came closer she could pick out a pink ball riding on it. The ball noticed her and waved. She smiled and waved back. The star flew above her and continued toward her island. She flapped her wings harder and followed it to the land mass.

Upon reaching the island, the angel drifted down to the sand. When she landed, the glow she admitted left her body in the form of tiny crystals. Her wings dissipated and her normal colors returned. By the time her transformation was complete, the pink visitor was running toward her. She knelt down on the ground and spread her arms as the puff ball jumped up to hug her.

"Kirby, good to see you," she said happily.

"Hi," he replied.

She set him on the ground with her free hand.

"What's up?"

"Jade, play?" he asked.

"Sure, just let me put this away first," Jade replied, gesturing to the spear with the fish.

"Ok."

Kirby ran down the beach toward Jade's shelter.

She smiled and said, "Guess I'll have to catch a few more fish tonight."

* * *

After his much needed bath, Meta Knight walked down the corridor, wrapped in his cape. He wanted answers about what happened during the storm, but he figured he check in with the king before he goes anywhere else. Soon he passed through a doorway into the dining hall. He looked to the end of the long table to see King Dedede stuffing his face with food. He went to him and stood waiting in front of him. Dedede wolfed down a chicken leg before he acknowledged the knight's presence.

"Good," the king muffled, "you're awake. I've been meaning," he paused to swallow, "to talk to you."

Meta Knight nodded in reply. Instead of continuing, Dedede went back to eating.

"If you don't mind me asking," the knight stated, "what happened while I was out?"

"Mm, well Pit showed up with you passed out on his back. You both were filthy and smelled God awful, like wet dog."

The knight nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, I had some Waddle Dee carry you to your room, then Pit started going on about a storm and how you flew straight into it."

"That's accurate."

"See, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Dedede replied, pushing his empty plate aside and laying his clasped hands on the table.

"What is it, your majesty?"

"Pit and I agreed that you could have died in that storm. So, uh, if you're feeling _down _you need to talk to someone."

"I'm sorry. I'm not sure what you're getting at."

"Look, if you're suicidal you need to let me know."

"Whoa, uh that's ok. I'm not suicidal."

"You sure?"

"I swear."

Dedede sighed in relief, sat back in his chair, and said, "That's good. I _really_ did not want to talk about that."

Meta Knight was relieved as well.

"Never the less, I got someone to watch you for a while," the king added, returning to his meal.

The knight's eyes widened as he asked, "What?"

"Pit told me that you told him that you blacked out before you flew into the storm. So I started calling people to watch you 'cause I have no time to baby-sit you. Problem is, a lot of the team members already left, but I did get a hold of someone that'll work perfectly. He should be here soon."

"A babysitter?"

"Look, between you and your two little buddies, you're the only knights I got and I'll look pretty stupid if one of you randomly dies on me."

Before Meta Knight could make an argument, they heard the sound of someone running through the halls. A streak of blue flashed across the doorway. Something screeched to a halt. Then a blue hedgehog came jogging into the room and stood opposite Meta Knight of the table.

"Whew, this place is crazy," he stated. "How do you guys get around in here?"

Meta Knight looked at him, then the king, to the hedgehog, then back at the king.

"Really? Sonic?"

"Quit your complaining," Dedede replied, taking on a rack of ribs, "now get out of here. I'm eating dinner."

The knight shook his head and proceeded to leave. Sonic dutifully trailed close behind.

"One more thing, if you're planning on heading out again then go to the forest and pick up some apples," the king added.

"Yes your majesty," Meta Knight replied tiredly.

* * *

"So there I was, out in space in the middle of a spaceship armada. I was out numbered and out gunned, but I wasn't going down without a fight."

"That's great, Sonic," Meta Knight sighed during his pause.

Convinced he was listening, Sonic continued, "All of their turrets locked on to me, waiting for me to make a move, but I wasn't going to make it easy for them. I ran down the deck of the ship, dodging lazars and taking on robots with machine guns-"

Meta Knight moaned to himself. Sonic was pretty quiet until they left the castle grounds. Why couldn't he have stayed quiet?

The knight and the hedgehog walked on down the dirt path away from the castle. Sonic was adding sound effects to his story. Meta Knight looked at the sky. It was deep orange and the sun was just touching the horizon. Worry struck him. It was going to happen soon. He glanced back at Sonic who seemed to be too wrapped up in his story telling to notice him. He had to get him away.

"And Eggman was all like, 'Oh no, don't hurt me Sonic'!" the hedgehog said with an ill-fitting woman's voice.

"Look Sonic," the knight said as they both stopped walking, "I don't know how much Dedede is paying you, but I could probably more or less double it if you just go away."

"Sorry, can't do that," Sonic stated, "I got principles."

"He's notorious for not paying his dues," the knight added.

"I figured. I had him pay me up front."

"How did you-?" The knight shook his head and informed, "Listen, I just need you to turn your back for maybe five minutes."

"Nope, you'll just sneak off," Sonic argued, crossing his arms.

The knight growled in frustration and glanced back at the sunset. He was running out of time.

"Don't make me have to beat the stuffing out of you," Meta Knight threatened.

"Bring it on, I can take you," the hedgehog replied in a cocky manner.

It seemed this argument could go on all evening. The knight looked at the sunset again.

He sighed and said, "Fine, stay. I just didn't want you to see this."

He went to the nearest boulder and stood close to it.

Sonic raised an eyebrow and asked, "See what?"

At that moment, the sun disappeared under the horizon. The world grew a little darker. A pulse went through the knight's body. He groaned and braced himself against the rock.

"Hey, you alright?" Sonic asked.

Suddenly, dark shadows erupted around Meta Knight. He clenched up as the shadows wrapped around him. As they took hold, they gradually changed the color of his armor and skin. His skin, gloves, mask, and cape turned darker blue. The bat symbol on his cape changed to blood red. His metal shoes bleached to silver. His back slid down the rock as he sat on the ground, still moaning in discomfort. His yellow eyes clouded over and turned red. With the transformation complete, the shadows dissipated and the knight went limp. He panted with his eyes closed. Sonic stood in shock. Suddenly, the hedgehog threw up his fists in defense and stared down the knight with fear plastered on his face. When Meta Knight looked up and noticed this, he frowned.

"Sonic, what are you-?"

"Don't move!" Sonic instinctively said, not even caring that the reply didn't make any sense.

The knight thought for a moment then asked, "Why are you afraid of me?"

"Last time you looked like that, you pinned me to the wall by my neck then threw me across the room in less than a second!"

This statement worried him, but it also didn't ring a bell.

"Really?"

"Yes! So don't you get up and toss me around like a ragdoll."

Meta Knight then remembered the fortress of the strange dark being. After the monster gave him the powers, he blacked out and did some things, most likely the creature's orders. One of those was probably to hurt Sonic.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I wasn't myself then," the knight informed, hoping Sonic could confirm that was the event they were talking about.

The hedgehog didn't drop his defenses, but the fear on his face began to clear.

"So, you're good then?" Sonic asked.

"Yes. I won't hurt you."

He didn't seem totally convinced, but his dropped his fists slowly. He walked over to the knight and held a hand to him. Meta Knight grasped the hand and was helped off the ground.

"By the way, that looked kinda painful," Sonic added. "Are you ok?"

"You mean the transformation? It was uncomfortable, but it's getting better. It happens every time the sun goes down."

The hedgehog nodded slowly with his eyebrows pressed together.

Realizing the tension, the knight added, "It'll go away in the morning."

"Ok," Sonic replied, trying to hide his sigh of relief. "So where was I? Oh yeah, Eggman was begging for mercy."

Meta Knight's shoulders slumped. Sonic's story didn't interest him in the least and he was hoping he'd forgotten about it. He looked out toward the mountains in the distance. Just across those mountains was the forest that housed the apples the king wanted. It was a few weeks journey by foot, but not for Meta Knight. Then he got an idea. A mischievous grin creased his hidden lips.

"Sonic," the knight said, interrupting his story, "how would you feel about a race?"

The hedgehog's ears pricked up.

"A race? With you?" Sonic asked.

"Yes. To those mountains over there," the knight replied, pointing toward the peaks.

Sonic studied the distance as his lips curled into a sly grin.

"Sure, I could go for a jog," he added, tapping the points of his shoes on the ground.

Meta Knight walked a little in front of him, back toward the hedgehog.

He looked over his shoulder and said, "Try to keep up."

He faced forward again and narrowed his eyes. Purple static danced all over his body, then channeled to his feet. In a flash of light, the knight vanished with a trail of dust in his wake.

* * *

Meta Knight ran at lightning speed. He passed countless tress that would look like blurs of green and brown to a normal person at this speed. However, his dark powers not only give him super speed, but also enhance his senses and reaction time, so dodging the trees was no problem for him. He passed animals that would think they almost got hit by a flash of lightning. He jumped over large boulders in his path and every step he took avoided tree roots and holes. After a while, he was satisfied with the distance he covered and slowed to a stop. He looked back and saw a column of dust and dirt in the air where he tore through the forest. And no sign of a hedgehog. He smiled and lifted his chin in triumph. He turned and jumped back in surprise. Sonic was on top of a root, lying on his back with his leg crossed over the other and his hands behind his head.

He looked at the knight and asked, "So, how about that race you were talking about?"

Meta Knight's smile was replaced by a frown. He clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes.

"Sorry, I was just warming up," the knight replied.

Sonic nodded, but didn't get up.

Meta Knight faced his next destination and charged up again. He launched forward and left the hedgehog where he sat. The knight put more power in his dash and ran even faster through the forest. The added speed presented more of a challenge to keep control of, but it was nothing the knight couldn't handle. He burst out from the trees and saw a lake in front of him. Without faltering, he charged right into the water and raced across the top of it without breaking the surface.

'_There's no way he can follow me across water,' _Meta Knight thought smugly.

It was much easier to travel across the flat body of water than the forest, so his speed doubled without him knowing about it. It took only seconds to reach the other side, and it was straight up into a steep hill from there. Meta Knight took more care to keep from slipping on loose rocks. He stopped again half way up the hill. He was panting a little bit, but he quickly regained his breath. It seemed that Sonic couldn't cross the lake and gave up. Then something struck his thoughts. What if Sonic did try to follow him through the water and drowned? The knight knew that the hedgehog couldn't swim. He was preparing to go back and check when he suddenly heard something sloshing up behind him. He whirled around to find none other than Sonic trying to shake water from his shoes.

"What?" Sonic asked with mock surprise to see him. "You didn't give up did you?"

Meta Knight's worry turned into frustration.

"Never!" the knight replied as he began to charge up again.

He turned and raced up the hill, kicking up as much dust as he could. Meta Knight didn't hold back anymore. He channeled all his energy into his dash. At the top of the hill, there was a cliff facing the mountains. The knight did a sort of battle cry as he ran as hard as he could and launched off of the cliff. He opened his wings, but kept them closer to his back to avoid too much air friction. This worked well, considering he was soaring through the sky at break neck speed. He made very slight adjustments to stay on track toward the mountains. Soon, he was flying so fast that a great boom and a puff of smoke came off of him. He had broken the sound barrier. The mountains grew in size at an alarming rate. Meta Knight slowly stretched out his wings to keep the wind from ripping them off. He had already passed the first line of peaks before he began to dive to land. He angled himself to be parallel with the ground and hit it running. He skidded and raked stones into the air. When he finally stopped, he found he was gasping for air. During his flight, he had stopped breathing after he hit supersonic. He went over to a rock and sat on it to help his breathing slow down. Sonic was fast, but there's no way he could have followed the knight through the air. He would have to run on the ground and through the mountains without the knight's trail of dirt to follow. Hopefully, the hedgehog would lose the knight altogether and go home.

Just then, Meta Knight heard rubber skidding to a halt behind him. He hesitated then looked in the direction of the sound with a glare. Sonic stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, a wide grin on his face.

The blue hedgehog lifted his chin at him and said, "Sup."

"Afternoon," the knight replied grudgingly.

He faced forward and let his head fall in defeat.

'_Humph, who was I to underestimate Sonic the Hedgehog? That won't happen again.'_

Sonic tapped his foot for a few seconds.

"Want to go get those apples now?" Sonic asked.

"Sure," the knight sighed as he stood up and walked toward the apple forest wrapped in his cape.

* * *

**Nothing wrong with a little healthy competition, am I right? Anyway, the next portion of the story will be posted next Saturday.**

**Review time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Earth

**I'm so sorry I didn't post this yesterday. I completely forgot it was Saturday yesterday. My bad. I hope you'll still enjoy it.**

* * *

Rising Darkness

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 5: Earth

The sun had sunk below the horizon. However, there was still an orange glow in the sky close to the horizon. The other part of the sky was darker than the rest, but there was enough light to see details of objects. This was how Meta Knight and Sonic found the apple trees they were looking for. Many of them were short enough to easily grab the first branch and hoist themselves up. These trees were full of red apples. They were dull in color and had just ripened. Sonic started to grab some apples, but Meta Knight stopped him and told him these weren't the right apples. The knight led them further into the grove until they came across a tree that towered over the forest. It stood 50 feet tall and its thick branches spread over the tops of nearby trees as if it was guarding them. The trunk itself was impressive. It would take two or three people to wrap their arms all the way around the trunk. Sonic stared up into the giant and gave a silent whoa. Meta Knight took a moment to marvel at it then spread his wings and flew up to the nearest branch. He balanced himself on the huge limb and went up to the bright red apples hanging down from it. He cradled one in his hand and inspected it. Satisfied with the quality of the fruit, he snapped the stem holding it to the tree.

"Sonic, catch," the knight alerted before he dropped the apple.

Sonic ran up to it and caught it with both hands.

"Whoa, these things are huge!" the hedgehog said, turning the melon sized apple in his hands.

"Yeah, they are," the knight replied as he looked for another good apple.

"How did they get so big?" Sonic asked.

"Well, this tree has been here for a long time. Those other trees we saw were just children compared to this one."

"I'm no expert, but don't apple trees stop producing fruit before they get this big?"

"They usually stop after about 20 years, but this one is obviously much older than that," the knight added as he dropped another apple down to Sonic. "The locals believe this forest is magical. Some force has kept these trees alive and fertile for many years."

"You don't believe that, do you?"

"Why not? I've had my share of magical creatures and talking trees."

Meta Knight dropped a few more apples down to Sonic. When they had five, the knight flew down to the forest floor and picked up three apples. They were pretty heavy given their size. They began to walk out of the forest.

"Does Dedede eat all these by himself?" Sonic asked.

"Yup."

"Don't you get any?" the hedgehog questioned, wondering if it was really worth the effort to collect these then watch your hard work get eaten.

"Sometimes I sneak a bite."

Sonic chuckled at that. Meta Knight started to say something else, but a strange tugging stopped him in his tracks. It was that feeling again. He looked around wearily. Sonic stopped ahead of him and asked what was wrong. The knight shook his head and kept walking. Maybe if he just ignored the feeling, it would go away. Suddenly, a monstrous roar rumbled through the forest. Birds scattered and took flight. Sonic and Meta Knight froze and now both of them were scanning the trees.

"I don't like the sound of that," Sonic said.

"We should go, now," the knight replied firmly.

They quickened their pace. Suddenly, they heard fierce rustling from the tree line. Something was racing up behind them. Meta Knight whirled around and instinctively threw his head back. The attack was just inches from his face and speared through one of the apples he was carrying. The giant root drew back and shook the apple off violently. More roots slithered in and reared up, surrounding them.

"What the heck?!" Sonic cried as he got in a battle stance.

Meta Knight drew his sword and watched the roots sway from side to side. Then, the roots closed in and tried to impale them. They jumped out of the way, but they jumped in opposite directions and got separated. Sonic curled up in a ball and threw himself at the roots. Upon hitting them, they curled up in discomfort, but then came back with a vengeance. Meta Knight sliced the attacking roots away. Some of the cut roots retreated back into the forest, but more replaced them. Then something strange happened. The roots became stationary. Meta Knight waited for them to attack him again, but they did nothing. He glanced over at Sonic. The roots were still swiping at him. He became uneasy.

'_What are they waiting for?'_

Just then, a pulse hit his forehead. He staggered back and held his head. A purple haze began to cloud his vision. He went to cry out for Sonic, but only a quiet cry of pain escaped his mouth. The roots closed in on him and wrapped around his ankle. Then, his vision faded to black.

* * *

Sonic panted as he stood ready for the next attack. He heard a loud thump and something being dragged behind him. He turned to find Meta Knight was being carried away by a root, his golden sword left on the ground behind.

"Hold on Meta Knight!" Sonic shouted as he jumped through the attacking roots, scooped up the sword, and dashed after the knight.

The roots retreated back into the forest, leaving Sonic to chase them down. The hedgehog raced through the trees. He lost sight of the knight and his captor, but he could still see the trail they left behind. Soon he burst into a clearing and skidded to a halt. Standing in front of him was a giant Venus fly trap. It roared down at the hedgehog. Its roots were writhing angrily in the air. In one of those roots was Meta Knight, wrapped up tight and unmoving.

"Humph, I just gotta cut him down. Piece of cake," Sonic muttered to himself.

Suddenly, the monster plant threw most of its roots at the hedgehog. He sped away from them as they chased after him. He swung the sword wildly when one got too close. He jumped up towards Meta Knight, but the beast swatted him out of the air. He tumbled on the ground, but quickly recovered and wiped the corner of his mouth.

"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"

The wide mouth of the beast seemed to curl up into a smile. Just then, large thorns sprung out of the roots. Sonic's smirk changed to a look of horror.

"Uh oh. This doesn't look good."

* * *

Meta Knight tried to fight the purple haze away.

'_I can't be like this now! I'm in the middle of a battle!'_

The haze was unmoving. Another pulse went through him, but this one intended to stun him. He stopped fighting it.

'_Fine. I give…'_

Then, the haze cleared and showed what looked like a giant Venus fly trap. Suddenly, purple electricity erupted on it. It cried out in pain, unable to move. Then, the vision raced up to the base of the beast and something sliced through it. A white light emitted from the cut and consumed the view. Then, the light faded and noises filled his head. He looked around dazed at the battle between Sonic and a plant monster. He noticed he was wrapped up in one of the roots and unable to move. He struggled against the vine to no avail.

"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" he heard Sonic say.

Just then, thorns erupted from the other roots. Meta Knight let out a cry of dread, but the vine that was holding him didn't sprout thorns…yet.

'_I got to think of something quick!'_

His root began to grow thorns at the base. They slowly grew closer to him. If they reached him while he was bond, it would be all over.

'_Wait, what was in the vision? Purple lightning. Does that mean…?'_

Meta Knight called forth a dark pulse. The electricity erupted from him and shot down the vine. It consumed the monster, causing it to cry out in pain. The root uncoiled and released the knight. He dropped to the ground and raced over to Sonic.

"Hey, you freed yourself," the hedgehog said, "I was going to do that."

"You took too long," Meta Knight replied. "Pass the sword."

Sonic tossed Galaxia towards the knight. Just then, the beast smacked the sword midair. It sunk into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"That wasn't in the vision," Meta Knight groaned.

"What did you say?" Sonic asked.

"Duck!"

They dropped down, just barely avoiding the root that swiped at their heads.

"Keep it occupied," the knight called to Sonic.

The blue hedgehog nodded and raced off. The plant monster turned its attention to Sonic. Meanwhile, Meta Knight ran over to the sword sticking out of the trunk. He pulled at it, growling at the effort. The beast noticed this and swung one spiked vine at him. The root hit the tree with so much force that the sword jarred free and caused Meta Knight to hit the ground on his back. The thorns were stuck inside the tree, causing the plant to turn its attention to prying it loose. The knight seized his chance and ran straight at the monster's base. His sword began to glow white. At the last second, Meta Knight sliced through the beast and stopped at the other side. It didn't seem to have affected it at first, but then the body slid off of its base and crashed onto the ground. It let out one more, weak roar then went limb.

Meta Knight withdrew his sword. Sonic jogged up to him and looked back at the giant with his fists at his hips.

"Well, I can believe this forest's got some freaky magic going on now," the hedgehog stated.

Meta Knight nodded in agreement. Just then, a light emitted from the center of the severed base. They cautiously walked up to it and looked in. Inside the stump was a single flower, a white water lily. The petals glowed with a soft, warm light. They stared at it for a moment then Meta Knight began to reach for it.

Sonic quickly pulled his hand back and said, "Whoa, don't touch it."

"Why?" the knight asked, taking his hand back. "You're not afraid of a flower, are you?"

"It's glowing! And it came out of that thing," the hedgehog argued, pointing at the dead plant monster.

Meta Knight rolled his eyes, causing Sonic to cross his arms. The knight again reached into the stump and carefully scooped up the lily. They gazed at it until Sonic became anxious.

"Ok, it's pretty, can we leave now? I don't want to get attacked by another plant."

"Alright," Meta Knight replied.

He went to put the flower down, but it didn't move from his hand. He stared at it questionably and shook his hand. The lily refused to move. He turned his hand over to see that tiny, green roots were wrapped around it.

"It latched onto me," the knight said, almost like a question to himself.

"Oh great. I told you not to touch it."

"Yes you did, mom. Now help me get it off."

Sonic grabbed the flower. Just then, yellow dust sprayed out of the flower right in Sonic's face. He stepped back and coughed.

"That thing is…evil," Sonic said, but that last word was slurred.

"Are you ok?" Meta Knight asked as the hedgehog began to sway.

"I feel…sleepy…"

Suddenly, he fell back onto the ground.

"Sonic?!" the knight shouted worryingly as he got down next to him.

Then, a snore came out of him. Meta Knight shoulders slumped as he looked tiredly at the sleeping hedgehog. He looked at the flower still clinging to his hand.

'_This is the second time I had a vision. And the second time a glowing object came out at the end. Is it just a coincidence?'_

He frowned. He looked back at Sonic, still snoring away.

'_Humph, he's out cold. It'll take hours to carry him out of here.'_

Then, the knight realized something and grinned.

'_Or maybe I won't. He can't follow me anymore like this. But still…'_

Meta Knight looked around the forest for any signs of danger.

Finding none, he shrugged and said, "Eh, he'll be fine."

He stood and walked back into the forest in search of the apple tree.

* * *

**That's it for now. This chapter is the last chapter that was prepared to be posted. I don't have any other publishable chapters right now. Which means that the next chapter might not come next Saturday. I'll do my best to meet the deadline, but I wanted to warn you in advance. Please be patient with me.**

**Review time!**


	6. Chapter 6: Fire

**Sorry I missed the deadline again. However, this chapter is a fairly long one. That should make up for it. Enjoy!**

* * *

Rising Darkness

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 6: Fire

Night had fallen. The stars were twinkling in the darkness. The crescent moon washed its soft glow over the land. On the island, Jade had made a fire to cook the fish she caught. Kirby sat across from her, happily eating away. They were tired from all the playing they did when the sun was still high in the sky.

"Yup, this is the life," Jade commented, taking a bite of her fish-on-a-stick. "A warm fire, good food, great company, the sound of the sea, and the stars above us; doesn't get much better than that."

Kirby nodded in agreement.

"It was nice of you to come and visit, Kirby. I had a good time."

"Piyo, me too," he replied in a cute baby voice.

Jade giggled at his attempt to speak.

"It's kinda funny that I did most of the talking this whole time," Jade added. "Well, that's ok since I like to talk a lot. Oh, I don't talk too much do I? If I started to annoy you, you would say something, right?"

Kirby nodded, taking another bite of his fish.

"Ok, good." She paused for a moment to toss her empty stick aside. "So, what prompted you to visit me in particular? I'm a bit out of the way, being on an island and all."

Kirby swallowed and replied, "Meda Nigh, poyo."

"Meta Knight? Did he tell you to come here?"

He nodded.

"Huh. Hehe, that reminds me of the other night. He was here training or something. He was shooting lightning bolts and they were loud! Scared the crap out of me. Then I went over and whacked him real hard. Well, I did it on accident, but he kinda deserved it for waking me up. Then he told me that he didn't think anyone lived here. Can you believe that?"

Kirby and Jade laughed.

Jade sighed and added, "Yeah, he's weird like that. I mean, who trains in the middle of the night? Oh well. I guess that's his biz."

The pink puffball threw his stick aside and lied back against his stubby arms, his stomach satisfied. Jade brushed her finger around in the sand for a moment.

"Hey, can I confess something?"

Kirby sat up in interest.

"You can't tell anyone! Not another soul," Jade informed firmly.

He pretended to zip his mouth shut and made a cross on his chest.

"Ok," she continued, satisfied with his reaction. "Truth is…" She leaned in close and so did Kirby. "I got a bit of a crush on him," she whispered, "Meta Knight I mean."

"Poyo," Kirby said with a hint of shock.

"Yeah," Jade replied, now starting to blush. "I mean we've been through a lot together and he's pretty cool. Remember, you can't tell anyone. This is between us."

"Piyo," he replied nodding.

"Good. Well, it's pretty late. You want to spend the night here?"

"Piyo, piyo," Kirby cheered happily.

"Awesome sauce. Hmm, I'll have to make a bed for you," Jade muttered in thought.

Suddenly, their fire burst into a mighty inferno. They backed away from it in fear. It towered over them and roared. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the fire died down to embers. They continued to watch it.

"That was weird," Jade stated, still shaken up.

Just then, a bright, orange light erupted from the forest. They looked to see a huge flame towering over the trees. Its light caused them to shield their eyes. Birds scattered as the flames ate away at the forest.

"What in the world?! How did this happen?"

Kirby stood. He stared into the forest as if he was bewitched. Then, he ran into the brush and disappeared.

"Kirby wait! It's not safe!"

Jade leapt to her feet and chased after him. She threw the dense overgrowth aside as she ran. It didn't take long to hit the fire zone. Tree leaves were going up in seconds, creating an overwhelming whooshing sound. Smoke blanketed the area like a fog. Jade coughed and covered her face with her arm. She saw Kirby standing close to a burning tree.

"Kirby!"

Jade ran up to him and turned him toward her. His face was blank.

"What's wrong? Come on, we got to get out of here," she shouted, shaking him.

He didn't respond. The burning tree creaked and moaned.

"Kirby, wake up! It's me! Kirby! Kirby!"

He blinked and he seemed to come back to life.

"Piyo? Jade?"

There was a loud crack. They whirled around to see the burning tree was falling towards them.

"Run!"

They ran out of the way, just barely escaping the fallen timber. Their coughing worsened as the smoke built up. They couldn't see more than a few feet in front of them. They gasped and stopped abruptly as a wall of flames blocked their path. Jade looked around frantically, but couldn't see another path.

"Get close," she said to Kirby as she crouched down.

Jade held him close as she created an energy barrier around them. It shielded them from the smoke and sweltering heat. She then whipped out her communicator and activated the help signal. Then, Kirby got her attention and pointed to an opening in the flames.

"We gotta run for it," Jade informed.

They got up and sprinted toward the opening, barrier still in effect. Suddenly, Jade tripped and fell to the ground. Kirby stopped and went back to help.

"No! You have to keep going," Jade said.

"But, piyo," Kirby cried back.

"Go! Save yourself! I'll be fine!"

Kirby hesitated, but then ran through the inferno and disappeared. Jade began to stand, but a loud crack from behind stopped her. She whirled around and her eyes widened in fear. A flaming tree was falling towards her. She tried to strengthen her barrier as the tree crashed down onto it. It weakened, allowing smoke to fill Jade's lungs. She coughed, still on her knees, her barrier breaking apart.

* * *

Meta Knight had found the giant apple tree again. It was dark now, but his glowing eyes provided enough light to see. He came to the apples that he and Sonic dropped when they got attacked. He rolled one over with his foot. It looked as though it got cored at the wrong side. He next went over to the rest of the apples. He went to pick one up, but he reached out with the hand that had the flower attached to it. He frowned and brought it up to his face.

He sighed and said, "Couldn't you have attached to the back of my hand or something."

Just then, the lily began to move. It used its tiny roots to crawl to the back of his hand. Once there, it became stationary again. Meta Knight stared at it in bewilderment.

"Uh, thanks, I guess…"

He shook his head and picked up an apple. He turned it in his hand and saw a large brown spot on the fruit.

"Hmm, what a waste. Oh well."

Suddenly, his communicator began beeping wildly. He dropped the apple, took out the device, and flipped the cover open. A red dot flashed on the map screen. The word "Jade" was next to it. It took a moment for the knight to register the significance of this, but when he did, his eyes widened and his face grew pale. Meta Knight went to run off, but turned back and looked around. He powered walked into a circle, not sure which way was the quickest to get to the island. He paused to collect his thoughts.

'_Think, think. I can't fly or run there, it would take too long- but I can't just stand here! GrrRAAA! Wait, I teleported people out of that fortress. I can still do that, right?'_

Meta Knight put his communicator away and drew his sword. He studied it, trying to remember what exactly he did. When he remembered, he plunged his sword into the ground and pushed an image from the beach on the island into the forefront of his mind. His sword glowed purple momentarily, then died down.

"What? No! Come on," the knight cried.

He tried to think of the island again. And again, the sword glowed for a few seconds then faded.

"No! God damn it! I don't have time for this!"

The only thing he could think about was Jade at this point. He couldn't push the image of the island into his mind anymore. Frustrated and worried, he ripped Galaxia out of the ground. When he did, he heard what sounded like fabric tearing. He looked up to find a hole in the air with a swirling vortex inside. He didn't stop to question it. Within seconds, he jumped into the hole as it closed in behind him.

* * *

A portal suddenly opened. Meta Knight flew out of it and landed on the sand with a thud. The vortex immediately closed and disappeared. He looked up and saw it; a towering fire had consumed the middle of the island. It raged as the bright flames licked at the heavens and a black cloud blotted out the stars and moon. Meta Knight shielded his eyes and scanned the beach.

'_Where's Jade?'_

"Meda Nigh!"

He turned to find Kirby racing up to him. The pink puffball tugged frantically at the knight as he made cries of distress.

"Kirby, calm down," Meta Knight said as he put his hands on Kirby's shoulders. "Are you hurt?"

Kirby shook his head, but the fear on his face remained.

"Do you know where Jade is?"

"Po po poyo!" Kirby replied, pointing at the forest.

"She's in there? Alright, just calm down Kirby. I'll go get-"

His train of thought was cut off when he saw someone jogging down the beach towards them. Kirby looked back as well and waited. The man stopped in front of them, holding his communicator.

"I got the signal," Link informed. "What happened here?"

"I'm not sure," Meta Knight replied, "but Kirby says Jade is still in the fire."

"Then we should hurry."

Kirby tugged on the knight's cape.

"Kirby, you have to stay here."

The pink puffball shook his head.

"It's too dangerous. You need to stay here in case Jade comes out on her own."

Kirby looked at the ground then nodded.

"Let's go," Link said.

"Right."

Meta Knight and Link charged into the forest, leaving safety behind. When the smoke hit them, Link pulled his collar over his face and drew his sword. Meta Knight followed Link, who was following his communicator, through the fire. A tree landed a few feet in front of them, showering them with embers. They ran around it and soon hit a clearing.

Link pointed and shouted, "There!"

Meta Knight gasped as he saw Jade lying face down on the ground with a tree on top of her.

"Jade!"

They raced over to her and saw that an energy barrier was between her and the tree, but it was blinking out. Meta Knight sliced through the trunk, splitting the tree in half. Link promptly kicked the halves off of Jade. The knight placed his sword aside and turned Jade over. She was gasping for air.

"Jade, are you ok? Say something," Meta Knight said, cradling her head.

Her eyes fluttered open, but they seemed unfocused and her gaze distant.

"Can you hear me? Look at me."

Jade coughed hoarsely. Meta Knight could tell something was wrong from the scratchy sound. Her eyes seemed to clear for a moment as she looked at him.

"M-mea nigh," came from her mouth like a breath of air.

"Don't talk. We're going to get you out of here. Just stay awake."

He began to pick her up, but a throb in his head stopped him. As soon as he became aware of that, the tugging feeling reappeared, and it was strong. He looked in the direction the feeling wanted him to go.

"Meta Knight," Link said.

He shook his head and replied, "Sorry. I know."

He gently lifted Jade off the ground. When he took a step towards Link, another pulse went through his brain. He growled to himself at having to make a choice.

Meta Knight went to Link and said, "Here, take her. I have to do something."

Link carefully took up Jade and asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to find the source of this fire. Don't wait for me. Just go."

Link hesitated then nodded. He ran back into the inferno with Jade in his arms. Meta Knight watched until he couldn't see them anymore. Then, he turned to the direction of the tugging. Another pulse went through his mind and a haze began to cloud his vision.

"Show me," he muttered as the world around him disappeared.

After a moment of stillness, the haze parted and revealed a column of flames billowing from a stone. Suddenly, a torrent of rain came down, attacking the fire. The flames fizzled down, exposing the rock. A hand reached out and grabbed it. A light emitted from the stone and blocked out the vision. Meta Knight blinked as the flaming forest came back into existence.

"What? That didn't make any sense," the knight yelled in confusion. "It's a clear night. Where's the rain going to come from?!"

The tugging feeling yanked at his stomach, causing him to groan in discomfort.

"Alright, alright." He sighed and muttered, "I must be insane."

Meta Knight ran into the flames, following the sensation.

* * *

Link continued to push through the brush. He had cleared the fire zone, but the smoke still gripped him. Just then, he burst out of the forest onto sand. He went closer to the water to escape the smoke.

"Piyo!" Kirby cried when he saw them.

The little puffball ran up to Link as he gently laid Jade out on the soft sand. Kirby cupped his mouth with his stubby arms when he saw the burns on her. Link freed his mouth from his collar and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"This doesn't look good," he murmured.

"Where Meda Nigh?" Kirby asked.

"I think he's trying to stop the fire," Link replied. "Right now, we need to help Jade."

Kirby felt his heart drop. If only he went back to help her… He gazed back at the fire. Meta Knight was still in there. And how is he going to stop this inferno? He'll be hurt too if he stays in there too long. Kirby's eyes narrowed in determination. He turned to Link and noticed the large boomerang on his back. Perfect. He grabbed the weapon, causing Link to jump in surprise.

"Kirby, what are you doing?"

"Poyo, poyo," Kirby replied, waving the boomerang around.

"What do you want that for?"

Kirby handed it to Link then backed up a few feet.

He pointed to his mouth and said, "Po poyo."

"You want me to throw it at you?" Link replied in suspicion.

Kirby nodded.

"Kirby, this is no time for games," Link affirmed.

"Poyo poyo!" the puffball argued, shaking his head.

Link studied his face. There was a fire of determination in his eyes.

"Alright," Link sighed. "I hope you have a plan."

He took a step back and positioned himself to throw the boomerang. Then, he threw it with a grunt. It spun straight at Kirby. The puffball sucked in a whirlwind of air. The boomerang was swept up by the gale and disappeared inside Kirby. Suddenly, he began to glow. A golden band wrapped around his head. A green gem appeared in the center of the crown. Then, a burst of wind erupted from the crown. With his transformation complete, Kirby seized to glow. Link stared wide eyed at the mini tornado on his head.

"That's interesting," he stated.

Kirby began to spin. A whirlwind surrounded him and lifted him off the ground. Kirby then flew towards the water. Link could barely see him from how far away he went. Just then, the tornado around Kirby strengthened and extended its reach into the water. Almost immediately, a water spout began to form. Link watched as the water went high into the sky. Then, it began to arch towards the island. The water at the top of the arch stopped spinning and fell down on the fire. Link could hear the violent hissing as the flames fought a losing battle against the downpour.

* * *

Meta Knight continued to run through the burning trees. The heat was gradually getting more intense. The smoke made a thick blanket in the air. The knight struggled to breath, even with his mask blocking most of the smoke. Just then, he came into another clearing. The trees here were large chunks of charcoal. The ground was coal black. In the center of the clearing was a fist sized stone. Flames billowed from the rock in a firestorm. Meta Knight tried to catch his breath as he shielded himself from the intense heat.

"Ok, now what?" he asked.

Suddenly, a torrent of water rained down on the fire. The flames hissed in pain and began to shrink. The smoke was replaced by white steam. Meta Knight gasped to himself at the suddenness. Some water ran down into his mask. He licked his wet lips.

"Sea water. But how?"

Then, he noticed the flames around the stone dissipated. He seized his chance and charged at the rock. Without thinking, he grasped the stone. The heat of it penetrated his glove and stung his skin. He groaned in pain, but held fast. Just then, the flower around his hand began to glow brighter. The stone in turn began to glow. The heat seemed to vanish. The knight gasped in relief and lifted the stone. It was pure black and had many cracks. The cracks glowed deep red and looked as though fire was swirling around inside. Meta Knight looked around. The rain continued to snuff out the flames, but they didn't seem to fight back. They quickly died down, reducing the forest to dark, smoldering rubble. The rain gradually came to a stop. The world became dark and silent. Ashe floated down like snow. Meta Knight sighed, relieved that it was all over. Then, he remembered Jade. He bolted out of the clearing and raced towards the beach.

* * *

Link watched as Kirby came back to the island. He floated down gently on the beach and slowly stopped spinning. The crown on his head was gone. Suddenly, he spit out the boomerang. Link grimaced at the weapon then put it away.

"Good job Kirby," Link said.

Kirby smiled in reply. Just then, they heard someone run out of the forest. They looked to see Meta Knight franticly searching the beach. The second he saw them, he ran up to them.

"What happened? How is she?" he asked quickly.

"Kirby put out the fire with one of his powers. But, I'm afraid Jade isn't doing so well."

Meta Knight got down on the ground next to Jade. His eyes stopped on all the burn wounds. They covered her body. Her clothes were black and melted in some places. Worry and fear coursed through Meta Knight like a river. He noticed that she was still panting. He carefully slid his hand under her head and lifted it slightly towards him.

"Jade, can you hear me?" he said, trying to sound calm.

Her eyes fluttered open. She weakly nodded.

"Can you move?"

She shook her head, tears forming in her eyes. Meta Knight swallowed a knot in his throat. He could tell she was in agony.

"Just hold on. I'll get you some help."

She looked him in the eyes and mouthed two words to him: _Thank you._

He nodded to let her know he understood. He gently placed her head back on the sand.

"Meta Knight, she needs a hospital," Link stated.

"I know, but the nearest medical center in more than a hundred miles from here, and it's a Pokémon Center."

"We have to do something."

"I know, I know," Meta Knight replied, beginning to get frustrated at the situation.

Kirby continued to look at Jade. Link thought hard of ways to help. Meta Knight's head burned. He knew that if she didn't get help soon, she could… He shook his head. He didn't want to think about that. Just then, his eyes widened at a sudden realization.

"There's a medical clinic on my ship," he stated. "I can care for her there."

"Hurry then. You don't have much time," Link replied, a hint of relief in his voice.

He nodded then turned to Kirby.

"Kirby, go back to the castle and stay in my room tonight. I'll explain everything to his majesty in the morning."

Kirby nodded.

"Link, do you need a ride?"

"I came here by boat. Don't worry about me."

"Alright."

Meta Knight carefully lifted Jade off the ground. He turned to them and said, "Thank you both. You were very brave."

They nodded to him. With that, Meta Knight took a running start down the beach then unfurled his wings and flew off into the night sky.

* * *

**Will Meta Knight be able to help Jade in time? Find out next weekend.**

**Well, maybe not next weekend. I don't have a completed chapter after this one. But I'll work on it and try to get it published on time.**

**Review!**


	7. Chapter 7: The Halberd, Part 1

**I just have to say a few things before you read. Since school has started, I haven't had time for anything, let alone writing, so all the chapters are going to come very slowly. However, I won't make you wait more than a year because that's outrageous.**

**This chapter came late because I was trying to fit all of the stuff that happens on the Halberd into one chapter. However, as it was, it was 5000 plus words and it wasn't even halfway done. So, I decided to split it into two chapters. It's not exactly where I wanted this chapter to stop, but, as is, it is my longest chapter yet. I hope you all still care enough for Jade to still be interested in what happens.**

**Again, I'm really sorry the story is being made so slowly. School is getting in the way more than I would like it to. In any case, I hope you enjoy the story!**

* * *

Rising Darkness

By: JadeDragonKnight

Chapter 7: The Halberd, Part 1

The knight kept his eyes focused on the castle silhouette. The air was cold and whipped at his skin. Occasionally, Jade would moan in discomfort.

"I know it hurts," Meta Knight said to her. "Just hold on a little longer. We're almost there."

It felt like they've been flying for hours. As they reached the castle, Meta Knight scanned below for the entrance to the hanger. When he spotted it, he dived down to the ground. He did his best to make the landing soft. When they landed, he noticed Jade's fists uncurled. It must have felt better to get out of the wind. He hurried inside the pitch dark hanger. He didn't bother to search for the light switch. His eyes illuminated a few feet in front of him, just enough to avoid the tools scattered all over the floor.

'_I really need to clean this place up later…'_

Soon, he could see the towering side of his ship. He went straight to the side hatch. A small panel next to the door opened, revealing many buttons. Meta Knight groaned irritably, realizing he couldn't enter the code in without dropping Jade.

"I don't have time for this. Computer! Wake up!"

A metallic voice came from the speaker in the panel; "Authorization code, please."

"It's me! Just open the door!"

"I cannot without an authorization code. If you are unable to use the panel, please speak the code."

"Wait, you know I can't use the panel?! Then you know I'm carrying someone in need of medical attention!"

"Yes, which means you are wasting time arguing with me. Authorization code?"

Meta Knight growled, but kept from arguing anymore. He spoke a series of random letters and numbers.

"Access granted," the feminine computer voice replied.

Just then, the hatch cracked open and slowly fell to the floor. Meta Knight quickly entered the ship as the hatch closed behind him. Overhead lights in the hall flickered on, but only in one direction.

"I took the liberty of lighting the way to the infirmary," the computer spoke through the ceiling.

"Thank you," the knight sighed as he kept moving. "Power on the medical equipment."

"Already done."

A metal door slid open. The knight entered the room. It was alive with flashing monitors and the hum of motors. Meta Knight laid Jade out on the nearest bed to the equipment. Her eyes were closed, but her breathing was still irregular. The knight grabbed a breathing mask and placed it over her face. A hiss of air came from the mask and went into her mouth and nose. She seemed to relax a bit. He looked to a monitor that read her breathing rate. With the supported air flow, she became stabilized. He sighed with small relief. He gazed over her whole body, lost as to what to do next.

"It's too bad Ax isn't here," he murmured to himself.

"I recommend a full body scan as your next step," the computer suggested.

"Make it so."

A robotic arm at the edge of the room came to life. It rolled itself over to the bed and swung a long arm over Jade's head. After a moment, a slim beam of light came from the arm. It slowly swept over her in a smooth motion. When it reached the end of the bed, the light shut off and the arm moved back to its original place in the room. Another monitor came to life with a silhouette picture of Jade on it. Blotches of various shades of red began to appear on the picture.

Not sure of what to make of the scan, Meta Knight asked, "Diagnosis?"

"Sixty percent of her body has been burned, twenty percent of that third degree. She also has burns on her trachea and small portions of her lungs melted."

The knight went pale.

"It's amazing she's still alive," he whispered.

"Her condition is critical. Her wounds must be washed and bandaged."

Meta Knight shook his head. He can't let fear cloud his judgment. He needed to stay calm.

"Right," he replied.

He went straight to the cabinet and pulled out a pair of scissors, bandages, and sterilizing fluids. He went right to work at cutting off the tattered clothes, careful not to irritate the areas that melted on her skin. At the computer's guidance, he cleaned the wounds and bandaged them. Hours rolled by as he worked. When he was finally done, he took a step back. Jade was covered head to toe with white cloths and gauzes. She had slept through the whole process and was still sleeping. Meta Knight got her a bed sheet and covered her with it, hoping to make her more comfortable. He checked the monitors. Everything was stable. He made a deep and long sigh. Then, he yawned and suddenly found it hard to keep his eyes open. Unwilling to leave the room, he pulled up the nearest chair and sunk into it. After a while, he fell asleep.

* * *

Morning came. The sun's light bathed the land in a warm glow. But the light didn't penetrate the Halberd. In the medical clinic, everything was still the same as Meta Knight had left it before he went to sleep. The machines still hummed and rhythmically beeped. Steady breathing came from both the knight and Jade. Just then, the sound of stomping rang out from the hallway.

"Meta Knight, where are you?!"

The metal door slid open, revealing King Dedede.

"There he is," he said with irritation in his voice.

The king went up to the knight and grabbed his shoulder.

"Wake up now!" Dedede shouted, shaking the knight.

Suddenly, Meta Knight bolted upright and yelled, "I had nothing to do with it!"

"Oh, I think you do!"

The knight turned to Dedede wide eyed, but seemed to calm down when he realized who it was.

"Oh. Morning your majesty," Meta Knight said, rubbing his eyes through his mask.

"Don't try to act like you did nothing," the king firmly stated.

Meta Knight's eyebrows pressed together in confusion.

"What are we talking about exactly?" he asked.

"Humph! The Waddle Dee found _this_ in your room this morning," the king replied, holding Kirby up to the knight's face.

The pink puffball waved shyly at him. Dedede suddenly dropped him.

"Start explaining. You know it's treason to bring my enemies into my castle without my approval!"

Meta Knight sighed, too tired to argue against the king's imperfect logic.

"Alright. There was a fire last night and Kirby was in the middle of it-"

"Is that Jade?" Dedede interrupted.

"Yes, she was in the fire too-"

"Why is she wrapped up like a mummy?"

"She got badly burned, so I had to take her here, cut off her clothes, and bandage her up."

At this point, Kirby was trying to look over the bed to see Jade. Meta Knight got out of his chair and pushed it towards Kirby for him to use.

"That doesn't explain Kirby in your bed," Dedede said, his arms crossed.

"I told him to use my room last night so I could help Jade."

"Wait a second. You said you cut her clothes off, right?"

"Yes. I had to clean her wounds so I-"

"So, she's naked right now?"

Meta Knight's eyes widened at that remark. It didn't even cross his mind that she was naked. Dedede noticed the knight's sudden change of expression and grinned deviously.

"You liked it, didn't you!" the king said.

"What?! No!"

"You're a pervert!" Dedede laughed, pointing at him.

Meta Knight's eyes turned pink and glared at the king.

"Jade was hurt! There was no other way to help her! I don't enjoy other people's suffering!"

"Whoa, easy," King Dedede stated, "I was just kidding. Wow, I've never seen you so worked up over someone."

Meta Knight took a moment to collect himself. His eyes went back to yellow. Kirby looked at them both questionably, not sure what just happened.

"Look, I'm going to be here taking care of Jade for a while. I figured it would be best if Kirby stayed in the castle."

"No, Kirby is not staying in my castle," Dedede argued, crossing his arms again.

"It'll just be for a few days. Besides, he's basically filling in my place at the castle. You'll hardly notice him."

That last comment seemed to spark the king's interest as he rubbed his chin in thought.

"Alright, he can stay, but he has to fill in for you and do everything I say," Dedede said.

Kirby whirled around in the chair, wide-eyed.

Meta Knight sighed and said, "Deal, but he has to be alive and in one piece when I get back."

King Dedede snapped his fingers in defeat and muttered, "Crap. He called it." He looked back at the knight and replied, "Fine, deal."

They shook hands to make it official. Dedede sneaked in a sly grin at Kirby before he left the room. Kirby whined at Meta Knight.

"Oh you'll be fine," the knight reassured. "It's probably better than wherever you've been staying lately."

They both looked at Jade, who managed to sleep through the whole conversation. Kirby gazed at her face sadly.

"She'll be alright, Kirby. I'll take good care of her. You can visit if you want."

The pink puffball nodded. He got down from the chair and left the room. The metal door closed behind him. Meta Knight looked back at Jade and sighed. Her bandages were red in some places.

"I should probably change those…" the knight muttered to himself.

"If it is inconvenient for you," the computer voice stated, "you may wait to change them."

"How long?"

"With the amount of discharge on the bandages, you should change them in an hour or so. Otherwise, the dry areas can be changed tomorrow."

"Thank you, computer."

"You're welcome."

After a moment of silence, Meta Knight's stomach began to growl. That's when he noticed it was also in mild pain. He rubbed it and asked himself when the last time he ate something was. He looked at Jade.

'_I should make something for her too.'_

He left the room in search of the galley.

* * *

Some time had passed before the metal door slid open again. Meta Knight entered the room with a tray of food. When he came in, he noticed Jade was awake. She was sitting upright and examining her bandaged hands. Her face was a picture of grief. The knight looked at her with sympathy. He's woken up to bandages before as well. He knew the best thing to do was help her feel better.

He grinned and said, "Hey, you're awake."

Jade looked at him with surprise.

He walked over to her and continued, "I made us some breakfast. Hungry?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but only a deep scratchy noise came out. She rubbed her throat and stared at her blanket.

"You don't have to speak. Just try to rest your voice for a while," the knight said as he swung a bed table over Jade's lap and set the tray down on it.

She nodded and went to pick up the fork. When she did, her hand trembled and she winced. She quickly switched hands. She then began to eat the scrambled eggs in front of her. Meta Knight watched her for a moment in thought. Then, he got up and went to the end of the room. Jade watched him with curiosity. He came back with a keyboard. He flipped a switch on the bottom of it before setting it in front of her. He then turned on a TV screen on the wall in front of the bed.

"There. Now, if you want to say something, you can type it in here and I'll see it on the screen."

Jade stared at the keyboard for a few seconds. Then, she set her fork down and typed something with her good hand. Meta Knight looked at the screen as a sentenced formed.

"_These eggs are good,_"the screen read.

"Oh. Thanks. I figured it would be easy to eat," the knight replied.

Jade nodded. A smile creased her face. Meta Knight found himself grinning as well. He sat down in his chair, removed his mask, and began eating his own eggs. Jade typed something else as he did this.

"_I thought you didn't want me to see your face?_"

"Well, it's not like you haven't seen it before."

"_Oh, right. I remember that._"

She stopped typing to go back to eating. They ate in silence for a while. When the knight finished, he placed his plate on the floor and sighed in content. Jade finished soon after him and began typing again.

"_That hit the spot._"

"Yeah. I haven't eaten for a whole day."

"_That was weird. I mean last night. That fire just started on its own. There wasn't a lightning strike or anything._" Before Meta Knight could reply, Jade quickly added, "_Thanks for rescuing me. I was really scared. I think Kirby was too. He's ok, right?_"

The knight chuckled to himself and said, "You may not be able to talk, but you still have a lot to say."

Jade grinned and shrugged. She typed away at the keyboard again.

"_Yeah, I can't talk anymore. Or walk, or pick anything up, or move, or-_"

Meta Knight watched her type this with concern. Her smile vanished. Then, he grabbed her hand.

"Don't do that to yourself Jade," he stated. "I know it's hard for you to be like this. Trust me, I've been there. But you can't focus on the negatives. You'll only depress yourself. Be happy that you're alive. I am."

Tears began to well in her eyes.

"You'll be ok. These burns will heal and you'll be good as new. I promise."

Jade sniffled and nodded. Meta Knight let her hand go and she wiped the tears in her eyes. She gave him a weak smile as thanks. He nodded. Then, her eyes moved to his hand and became questionable. He looked at his hand with the lily on it.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about this thing," he said, holding it up.

Jade typed something in response.

"_Did you go to the prom or something?_"

"Haha, no. I went through a lot of trouble to get this. Well, I wasn't exactly looking for it. It just, kind of…ugh, how do I explain this?"

"_It's pretty. I didn't know you were into flowers._"

"I'm not."

Jade raised an eyebrow.

"Really! It latched itself onto me!"

She lifted her hand toward him, gesturing at the flower.

"Uh, you probably shouldn't."

Her face crunched up in a mocking manner.

"Fine, take it, I don't care," he quickly said, lifting his hand within reach of hers.

She carefully slid her fingers underneath the bud and scooped it into her hand. Meta Knight was astonished to see how easy it was for her.

"What the? Why didn't it…never mind."

Jade examined it. The lily glowed warmly. She brushed her fingers on the pedals. It seemed to bring her comfort. Meta Knight watched her face lighten. Then, she began to bring it to her face.

The knight jumped up and warned, "Don't smell it, please. It knocked Sonic out- Oh crap, Sonic! He's still probably sleeping!"

Jade's eyebrows pressed together. Meta Knight took out his communicator and called Sonic. After a few rings, the speakers clicked.

"Hello?" a voice yawned.

Meta Knight quickly closed the phone.

"Ok, he's fine."

Jade chuckled. She typed something.

"_So, are you going to tell me the story behind this?_"

She gestured to the lily. He thought for a moment. He didn't want anyone to know what was happening to him lately, but a second opinion on the situation might be good. Besides, he was comfortable talking to Jade.

"Well, I guess I should start from the beginning."

He told her all that happened since the night that he came to her island. He told her about the dream he had, the visions, the storm, the giant Venus fly trap, the glowing objects, everything. She listened to his story intently and didn't type anything unless prompted to. When he was finished, Jade took a moment to let it sink in then typed something.

"_You think that monster in your dream caused all of this?_"

"No, I never considered that. It couldn't have if it was a dream, right?"

"_You said it wanted you to 'run some errands' then it did something to your head. I think it gave you those visions so you could get those glowing artifacts._"

His eyes widened. That made sense. Every time he had a vision it lead to an artifact, and he didn't get those visions until after the dream.

"I think you're right, Jade. But why would that thing want these objects?"

She shrugged. Then her fingers moved across the keyboard.

"_How many are left?_"

"I don't know."

"_How many do you have?_"

"Uh… three."

Jade paused to look at the flower in thought. Then, she typed again.

"_What are the other two like? Are they all flowers?_"

"No," Meta Knight replied as he reached behind and took out the fire stone. "This one caused the fire on your island."

After hearing that, she looked at the stone with apprehension.

"I think its ok now. I seem to have some effect on them. When I come in contact with them, they stabilize."

She nodded, but continued to stare at the rock.

"You're still not going to touch it, are you?"

She shook her head.

"Ok, that's understandable," he said as he set the stone on a nearby table.

Jade began to type something.

"_What's the other one like?_"

"Basically a tornado in a bottle. It caused the massive storm I was telling you about."

She nodded then typed something else.

"_Sounds like they represent elements, like wind and fire, that kind of stuff._"

"That could be. So, if the stone is fire, the whirlwind is wind, and the lily is…"

"_Plants? Life? Earth?_"

"Let's go with Earth. That seems to be the theme here. So, what does that leave?"

"_Water? I don't know._"

"Well, it could be water. The pattern could be Wu Xing."

"_What's that?_"

"The Chinese Five Elements. There's water, metal, wood, earth, and fire."

"_But wind isn't one of them._"

"Oh. Good point." He thought for a moment then added, "The Japanese five elements have wind in it. Then there's fire, earth, water, and void."

"_Void?_"

"If I remember correctly, it's supposed to represent unearthly things, like the sky or pure energy."

"_Hmm…_"

Meta Knight slumped in his chair. The prospect of having to risk his life to get (possibly) two more artifacts weighed heavily on him. Not to mention the fact that he's doing a monster's dirty work by doing so. And it's not just him that's being affected by it. Pit risked life and limb to help Meta Knight out of the storm. Sonic had to fight off a giant Venus fly trap that ended up reducing him to an unconscious state. And Jade was sitting in front of him, wrapped head to toe in bandages from burn wounds. This wasn't worth it. The suffering had to stop. He narrowed his eyes and sat upright.

"I won't do it anymore. I refuse to put anyone else at risk to get these artifacts to a monster."

Jade looked at him with concern and typed something.

"_Can you help it? You didn't exactly choose to get the first three. What if you have to?_"

The knight sighed and said, "I'll do whatever it takes to ignore it. Something doesn't feel right about this whole mess, and I won't be involved any longer. I'll live in a cave if I have to."

She nodded slowly then typed: "_Alright. Do what you feel is right._"

Just then, a speaker on the ceiling clicked on.

"I recommend changing the bandages now," the computer voice said.

"Thank you, computer," Meta Knight replied tiredly.

Jade looked at him questionably as he got up and gathered the necessary medical equipment.

"Ok Jade, I just have to change the wet areas. It's going to hurt. Do you want some pain medicine before we start?"

She nodded.

"Fifteen milligrams of Morphine is recommended."

"Thank you, computer."

"You're welcome."

As the knight went to get the medicine, Jade typed something.

"_Is the computer always listening to us?_"

After the knight came back and looked at the screen, he replied, "Pretty much. She's the ship's A.I. computer system. She knows what's going on in the Halberd 24/7."

"_Does she have a name?_"

"I forget what it was. I just call her computer."

Meta Knight poured a small amount of liquid in a graduated cup.

"Here you go. Bottoms up," he said, handing the cup to Jade.

She raised an eyebrow at it. Then, she lifted the cup to her mouth and swallowed the contents in one shot. Her face scrunched up in disgust as Meta Knight took the cup from her.

"Nasty, I know. I thought it would be best not to tell you."

He got her some water from the sink to wash it down. She took it gratefully and drank most of it. She rolled her tongue in her mouth with a skewered look on her face. She stuck her tongue out and pressed on it.

"What? Is your tongue numb?"

She nodded.

"That happens sometimes. It means it's working."

He pushed the bed table aside and placed the keyboard on top of it.

"Ok, let's see what we got here," he stated as he pulled back the sheet.

Jade looked down at her exposed body and gawked. She yanked the sheet from his hand and covered herself up to her chin. Her cheeks went red.

"What's wrong?"

She pointed to the keyboard. Meta Knight handed it back and her fingers furiously danced on it.

"_I'm not wearing any clothes!_"

"Well, I had to cut your clothes off to bandage you."

"_Give them back!_"

"I can't. They're not wearable anymore."

"_I'M NAKED!_"

Now Meta Knight's cheeks began to blush and his eyes turn pink.

"I know that! I try not to think about it! There's no other way to do this, so just let me change your bandages."

Jade continued to hold tight to the sheet.

"Please Jade. It has to be done, or else it could get infected and that would be horrible on you in this state. I just want to help."

She looked down and rubbed the blanket between her fists. After a few moments of this, she finally nodded. The knight gently took the sheet from her and pulled it back. She closed her eyes, her cheeks burning.

"Come on, you're not that exposed. I don't have to change anywhere that's…private."

She opened her eyes just to type something.

"_Please just make it quick._"

"Yes ma'am."

She closed her eyes again as Meta Knight went to work. He dampened the areas that needed changing and carefully began to remove the cloth. When he got to her skin, she cringed in pain and balled her fists.

"I know it hurts. But just think what it would have felt like without the morphine."

She nodded in response, still keeping her eyes and fists shut tight.

He worked at changing her bandages for what felt like hours. He would sometimes spend more than ten minutes trying to sever the cloth from her skin. At times, she would cry out in her scratchy voice, making Meta Knight cringe in sympathetic pain and promptly apologize for causing her so much agony. When he was all done, he wiped his face and sighed. Jade had tears in her eyes, but they showed relief that it was all over.

"We can wait a few days to change the rest. Maybe next time I should give you a little more morphine."

She nodded weakly. For the first time that day, she was too tired to type anything. The knight checked the clock. It read 2:37.

"Hungry for lunch?" he asked.

She nodded from her pillow.

"Alright."

Meta Knight left the room to make lunch for them both.

* * *

**That's it for now. I have a little of the next chapter done but it's not enough to post. I'll try to squeeze in some writing time to finish it.**

**I will tell you all that Kirby visits in the next chapter. That's all the sneak peek that I'm giving you!**

**Review please. Reviews give me most of my motivation to write!**


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